Around the College
Fighting MND Month at Mazenod College
Throughout August, the Mazenod College community united behind an important cause, raising awareness and funds for FightMND in honour of the remarkable legacy of Neale Daniher.
Our month of fundraising culminated in a series of fantastic community events. The much-anticipated Staff vs Students Futsal Match saw the students take home the bragging rights with an impressive 6-2 victory over staff.
One of the standout moments was undoubtedly the Ice Bucket Challenge. In front of a packed quadrangle, brave staff and students took the plunge, drawing plenty of cheers, laughter and applause as they embraced the challenge for a worthy cause.
We are incredibly proud of the generosity and enthusiasm shown by our College community throughout the month. By supporting FightMND, we not only raised valuable funds but also honoured Neale Daniher's vision of finding a cure and improving the lives of those affected by MND. Together, we demonstrated the Mazenod spirit of community, service and daring action for others.
Alumni Mentorship Helps Spark Cian's Career
Cian is a Year 12 Vocational Major student, has spent the year working closely with Mazenod Old Collegian Andre Wyllie (MOC1998), learning the electrical trade.
Cian had always been curious about a career on the tools, having worked with a plumber during his Year 10 work experience placement. When he transferred to the Vocational Major pathway, his close friend and College Vice Captain, Ollie Wyllie, informed him that his father was keen to take on a work placement student.
Working at Wyllie Electrical Solutions has allowed Cian to experience all facets of the electrical industry.
He has been involved in demolition work, rough-ins, fit-offs, circuit testing, and final commissioning. According to Cian, the best part of the job is the satisfaction that comes from seeing the finished product and witnessing the client's reaction.
Andre, Cian's employer, is also a Mazenod Old Collegian and was College Captain in 1998. He is not only an excellent mentor for Cian, but his own experiences also demonstrate how career pathways can evolve and change over time.
After Year 12, Andre commenced a cadetship with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and, after a year, decided to transfer to an accounting degree at university. Six months into the course, a friend offered him the opportunity to "get on the tools" with an electrical contracting firm. Andre was hooked. After completing his apprenticeship, he worked as a project manager for a Melbourne-based electrical company. Twenty years later, Andre decided to branch out on his own and established Wyllie Electrical Solutions.
When I visited Cian and Andre, they were completing the lighting installation at 24 Hour Fitness in Patterson Lakes. The distinctive red hue throughout the gym was a feature specifically requested by the owner.
Mazenod College is deeply grateful to Wyllie Electrical Solutions for the opportunities provided to Cian. We extend our sincere thanks to Andre for the guidance, care, and support he has shown throughout Cian's placement.
If your organisation has the capacity to host or employ a VCE Vocational Major student, please contact our Vocational Education Leaders:
Mr Leigh Harris - lharris@mazenod.vic.edu.au
Ms Athena Beshir - abeshir@mazenod.vic.edu.au
Work Placement Days
Year 11 VCE VM (Units 1 & 2): Tuesdays
Year 12 VCE VM (Units 3 & 4): Thursdays
Bowls Victoria Secondary Schools Super Series
Five Year 10 students represented the ACC at the Bowls Victoria Secondary Schools Super Series at Deer Park on Tuesday 1 September, finishing third in a strong field of school bowls programs from across Victoria.
Cooper, Kobie, Jai, Marco and Owen competed against winners and runners-up from school bowls championships across the state, with eleven schools represented from the ACC, APS, AGS, State Secondary Schools Victoria and Independent Schools Victoria.
The competition brought together many of Victoria’s leading U18 bowlers, including players from Victorian and Austra lian squads. As an open event, many of the opposing players were also older than our students.
Mazenod won five of its six games across the day, including the playoff for third place, with wins against APS and AGS schools.
The result placed Mazenod as the leading metropolitan bowls program in Victoria, behind two long-established regional programs from Kyabram Secondary College and Phoenix College Ballarat.
Congratulations to Cooper, Kobie, Jai, Marco and Owen on an excellent result, and a strong start to our new Elite Pathways Programme partnership with the Melbourne Cricket Club.
A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical
A trip to the theatre became part of the assessment process for our Unit 1 Drama students last Wednesday.
Students attended A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne as part of their written SAC, where they are required to analyse and respond to a live production.
For some students, it was an introduction to Neil Diamond’s music and story. For others, it brought familiar songs to the stage in a new way.
The staging, performance choices and use of production areas gave the class plenty to observe, discuss and write about as they continue developing their understanding of theatre and performance analysis.
Volleyball Victoria Schools Cup #3
Mazenod Volleyball achieved another strong set of results at VVSC #3, with our Year 7 and Year 12 teams competing across multiple divisions.
Results included:
Open Honours, Bronze and qualification for Honours at Nationals in Queensland
Year 12 Division 1, Gold
Year 12 Division 2, 8th
Year 7 Division 1, Silver and 4th
Year 7 Division 2, Gold, 4th and 9th
Year 7 Division 3, Gold, 4th and 5th
Across the full competition, Mazenod was named Champion Boys School and finished third in the Overall Champion School standings. To achieve this without girls teams contributing to the overall tally is a significant result, and a reflection of the strength and depth of the Mazenod Volleyball program.
Congratulations to all students, coaches and staff involved across VVSC #3 and the wider Volleyball Victoria Schools Cup series.
